A debate this afternoon between Attorney-General George Brandis and Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus offers a vital chance to focus on the national crisis in community legal centre funding in the lead-up to the Federal election, according to the peak body for fifty community legal centres in Victoria. Continue reading
A new National Partnership Agreement on Legal Assistance Services between state, territory and federal governments has been signed amid serious ongoing concerns over a failure to fully fund the justice gap, the impact of a significant national funding cut in 2017–18, and restrictions on advocacy campaigns by community legal centres on policy and law reform issues.
‘States and Territories have had little choice in signing this agreement, because it affected services delivered from 1 July. Despite its unfair conditions, not signing would have immediately affected thousands of vulnerable people,’ said Liana Buchanan, executive officer of the Federation of Community Legal Centres, today. Continue reading
A Federal Government proposal to means test free legal help from community legal centres will increase the risk for women facing family violence, according to the Federation of Community Legal Centres.
The proposal is included in a new funding agreement with States and Territories that Prime Minister Tony Abbott is expected to send to Premiers and Chief Ministers within days. Continue reading
